Allegations over the promotion of unlicensed operators have caused the removal of the Irish Sun’s online casino affiliate section.
The Irish Times reported that it contacted the News Corp-owned publication after it discovered positive reviews for a series of online casinos displaying licences from Curacao and Anjouan – the jurisdictions of choice for many black market operators – offering deposit bonuses of up to €7,500 for new customers.
One of the reviewed sites was awarded a score of 4.63 out of five and included a link to the site and a ‘commercial content notice’ that informed readers that ‘taking one of the casino offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun’.
According to The Irish Times, last week nine of the 10 ‘new casinos’ listed on the now-pulled betting section of the Irish Sun’s website were licensed in Curacao.
A Sun Spokesperson told the Irish Times that it was ‘aware of issues’ regarding some of the reviews published online, and has removed the articles while an internal investigation takes place.
Escalating black market concerns
The pull of the black market continues to be at the forefront of the minds of gambling stakeholders across the UK and Ireland, especially when it comes to advertising.
The Irish Sun itself shared a report released in April that estimates black market advertising spending in the UK will surpass that of the licensed sector by 2028.
Within the report, the role of affiliates was earmarked as a particularly key battleground, as there is a litany of websites available online targeting players who have previously self-excluded using the UK’s GamStop programme.
Ireland is currently going through a transition in its gambling market after politicians passed the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, replacing the previous fragmented regulatory framework and establishing the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) to oversee the market.
The new regulator warned that engaging with offshore gambling sites means that players are not afforded the protections available in the licensed sector.
